Indian PM Modi sworn in for 2nd term in ceremony attended by Asian leaders & Bollywood stars

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in for a second term in office after his ruling party won a landslide victory in elections last week.

Modi’s Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 303 out of 525 seats, easily giving them the simple majority needed to form a government, in an election which saw some 600 million people go to the polls.

The ceremony took place at the presidential palace in the center of New Delhi and was attended by more than 7,000 guests, including other regional leaders, Bollywood celebrities and sporting stars.

There were some notable absences, however, including Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, as well as some Indian opposition figures. Earlier, Pakistan had downplayed reports that Khan had not been invited to the swearing-in ceremony, saying that it was a logical decision since the election campaign had been full of “Pakistan bashing.”

India threatened to globally isolate Pakistan in February after a suicide car bomb attack which killed 44 special force police officers in the disputed Kashmir region – an incident that brought the two nuclear-armed powers close to all-out conflict.

Modi's new cabinet is also likely to be sworn in soon, but the new government is not in for an easy ride. The country is facing economic slowdown and pressing questions about security and reform.

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